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Thanks for the compliment, we really do like our truck :). Oh, I also forgot to mention I replaced the winch cable for the lift with rope and a 4 part tackle. The little winch struggled a bit near the top of the lift but now it seems happy. I need to do a short video of it. Still have a couple...

This was a common problem in boating when lithium batteries first came out (alternators in a closed engine compartment with very little external air). A lot of boaters will size the alternator pulley to put out more amps at lower RPM. I am guessing if you don't use a B2B charger you would need...

We have been spending time in eastern Oregon, which we have come to realize is pretty remote. The scenery is fantastic and with fall in full swing the camping areas are much less crowded. So here are a few recent pics. On the slowly evolving truck build I have ordered up some parabolic...

A while back I contacted Atkinson Vos about their "speed upgrade" for our trucks (the example truck is a 1617). They got back to me and they were able to source new ring/pinion for the front and rear axles on our truck. Parts alone were going to run about 5k pounds and we were only going to gain...

Thanks Neil, one question. I was sort of thinking that if I put the T near the heater box it would be outside of the thermostat. Obviously it works but how does it get by the thermostat? I have a separate circulation pump ready to go. Our furnace is mounted in one of the under body storage...

So, while we are hanging out with family I am slowly (very slowly) working through a few outstanding projects. A strictly fun one was adding a subwoofer to the habitat stereo, a small "under seat" powered one. Really helped fill in the sound and we are enjoying it. A more serious project is...

When we were in NZ with the sailboat we ran into some great craftsman in the boating industry. If I was there I would go to Whangarei and try and track down Steve Ikler (not sure of the last name spelling, but ask at Norsand Boatyard and they will know). He would be able to mold you a very flash...

Oh, and to chat about the truck for a bit. Working on installing a subwoofer for the habitat stereo. Got the unit screwed down and will run the power today. Awaiting some speaker wire from Amazon to complete the job. I also replaced the hood flap gasket. I ended up getting a non-Mercedes bit of...

In my opinion, even with the issues here in the USA it still has some of the most amazing scenery we have seen anywhere in the world. Plus with the federal land in the western US boon docking is easy and free. Should be high on any nature lovers visit list. Yup, saw your new camper on FaceBook...

Hey guys, although starting to sound a bit repetitive we are back from another backpack jaunt. This one was a bit short due to a large part of Glacier National Park being closed (Covid) and smoke from the forest fires. We have not been in Glacier in about 9 years and I will admit, this was not...

Thanks Joe, I will crawl under and take a look.

Hey Simon, the Darien Gap is in Panama and is a bit of jungle with no roads. Kind of inconvenient for those of us that want to move from North to South America. In my looking around people have shipped from Miami, Houston or Panama to get to Columbia. Since we have already spent a fair amount of...

Hey all, just got back from another 3 night backpack. This time in the North Cascades National Park. We lucked out again with perfect weather. Due to Covid and Instagram (direct from a park ranger), back country permits are hard to come by. We had hoped to get a 3 night loop hike but ended up...

Starwars flashback... We recently added a pneumatic door strut to our entry door. Every time we open it, it reminds me of the original Star Trek TV show when doors opened. Now if only this truck had warp speed :cool:. Now, back to Sitec. I am guessing you might end up with the turbo. Not sure...

Since we have a bit of internet thought I would do an update. I finally think we got the coolant problem fixed. Pretty sure it was the threaded plug in the top of the head. Minor thing that caused a lot of money and trouble. Really glad to get it fixed and have the engine opened up to check the...

I think we finally licked the problem. We will go for a drive tomorrow as a test but the coolant system now holds pressure. Since we had a good experience with the shop and mechanic we shared contact info. I texted him to ask what else it might be and to tell him we had a problem. He asked where...

I removed the valve cover and pressurized the coolant system. Coolant was seriously leaking out of the center hex plug in the head. Drained some coolant, removed the plug, which was pretty loose, thread sealed and torqued. Re-pressurized and sprayed contact cleaner on all these plugs. Another...

Yes, we are parked now. The bearings were just replaced a few days ago. All part of the $6k engine repair that was supposed to fix our coolant issue. I am opening the valve cover this morning with the coolant system under pressure. If I do not see anything the oil pan comes off.

I agree about the coolant remains under pressure but I am pretty sure it disappears as we drive. I have had to stop and refill. One of the differences I see with RV life vs sailing is where to DIY work. Sailing was easy, you pulled into a boatyard and depending on the yard you could do what you...

Thanks for the offer and I might take you up on that. We checked the head when it was on the bench and it was flat. We also checked the top of the block. All was good. No sign of any leaks at the head gasket actually. I just went to the local auto-parts store and used their tool loan offer to...